Editorial_08-01

Jeff Green | Jan 10, 2008

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My tenure as publisher of this newspaper has come to an end - and I’m relieved to say that it’s not because I’ve followed in Conrad Black’s footsteps.

For the last few years, family commitments have made it increasingly difficult for me to keep up with the workload that a publisher needs to carry. In fact, it would have been totally impossible without our editor Jeff Green, who has shared in the paper’s management since my husband David Brison died in December 2002.

I am extremely happy to announce that Jeff has now undertaken, in addition to his duties as editor, a new role as owner and publisher of the Frontenac News.

When Jeff joined the paper as our graphic designer in January 2002, he was already well known to our readers through his contributions as a volunteer writer. In fact, Jeff has been a part of the paper from the very beginning in July 2000, when David and Sara Carpenter bought the News from Northern Frontenac Community Services, and immediately began to fashion new roles for it in the community.

One of the most important of those new roles was to provide, for the first time, full coverage of elections, and that fall brought the first municipal election for the paper to cover.

Because of his background as editor of the Trent University student paper, Jeff foresaw how much work this would entail and immediately said to David, “You can’t do it all by yourself. I’ll help you.” And help he did - that time and every time thereafter when help was needed, Jeff was there.

After working with Jeff for those years, David knew that the paper would be in the best possible hands with Jeff succeeding him as editor; and after working with Jeff for seven years now, I know that the paper is in the best possible hands with him succeeding me as publisher. But the beautiful thing is that I don’t need to convince anyone of that – our readers, our staff, our volunteers and our advertisers all know that Jeff has done, and will continue to do a wonderful job for the Frontenac News.

He faces different challenges than we faced in 2000. The print media landscape in Ontario has changed totally in those seven years – in 2000 there were hundreds of independent community newspapers, but now a quick count at the Ontario Community Newspaper Association’s website shows that of its 92 Eastern Ontario members, only 29 are still owned by independent publishers. In Central Ontario it’s only 23 out of 107.

We feel strongly that the Frontenac News serves the community best by being published by members of the community, and we are totally committed to carrying out the vision of the founders of the paper.

I say “we” because I am happily continuing on as managing editor.

These years at the Frontenac News have been marvelous for this basket-maker turned newspaper person. Helping to weave a strong fabric for our community was similar to making baskets, but I have learned so much more – I think not the least of which was humility. There’s nothing quite like seeing one’s mistakes in black and white, replicated 9000 times - usually on page one, in the first paragraph, or even in the lead headline!

Learning to work with other people as a team was also a special joy – after we collided enough to knock the rough edges off each other, of course.

It has not been lonely at the head of this newspaper, thanks to the support, dedication, and hard work of our wonderful staff and volunteers.

I can’t say enough to thank you all, and especially to thank our advertisers, who provide the means for the News to be published every week.

I know that you will all join with me in giving Jeff our full support.

This will be a great new period for the Frontenac News.